Cold Snap
by sno-man80
Summary: A normal adolesent's life interupted by love, pain, malice and illusion. Is everything really as it seems? Inu/Kag AU
1. First Chapter

This one was just out of inspiration, not sure if it's a full story, I just need to know if the interest is there, even if there is none, I still MIGHT continue. If say, three or four reviews come in, I'm definitely continuing it, even though I have other stories to work on.

**Cold Snap**

**Chapter 1**

**First Chapter**

I raced through the winter air, the cold snap biting at my lungs, burning my bare throat to the point of which I even had to slow my pace. I really had no time, but to get there and not being fit to protect her was not a very pleasing prospect for me at that point. Not after all the promises I had made. . . and broken. I was hard set to make up for every one of those and then some. I feared the deed had already been done; my only console was to nurture the hope that there was hope.

That bastard had her and I knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill her at any second so, naturally, time was more than just an essence, it was life itself.

I had slowed long enough, so I quickened my feet once again; the fear that she might already be dead hit me in waves, nearly knocking me senseless, the only thing keeping me running was the will to protect her, to keep her safe, to hold her in my arms once more, just before I professed my true feelings to her, she reject me and my heart split in two, then four, then. . . you get it. I didn't care for the heartbreak at the moment. I had been so stupid about everything and ultimately it could cost me the person I cared for most on this very earth. . . Kagome.

The street, uncaring of my plight, held many memories, as I hurried by many important waypoints in our relationship (I guess I could call it.) It was weird. The past had never happened?

But I'm guess I'm getting ahead of myself, my name is Inuyasha, I'm a hanyou in high school and my story starts several months ago, just before the first day of school of my senior year at Toronto High School. No, I do not live in Canada, Toronto roughly translated from some language (I wasn't listening when they told us about the history of the school) to 'trading place.' It is just outside the city center of Tokyo.

I lived only a few blocks away in a small apartment with my half-brother. We both have long silver hair, like our father from I've heard, though Sesshomaru's is much finer. That's where the similarities end. We have an intense dislike, if not hate, for each other. Sesshomaru is always wearing a business suit while I wear normal clothes like good old fashioned ripped jeans and t-shirts.

My parents died within one month of each other, a few years ago, my father first as he tried to stop a robbery, he was the chief of police, and my mother soon after, probably of a broken heart. My brother was seventeen when he graduated school and got a job to take of me. He blamed me for his responsibilities and did not hesitate show his daily displeasure at living with me and for me.

"Hurry up, Inuyasha," he called with his cool, I-don't-take-no-crap voice, attempting to shoo me out of my comfy bed. "You don't want to be late for your first day of your last year."

Now, I wasn't fooled. What he REALLY meant was, 'get out of the house so I can strike a day off the calendar countdown of which I can kick you out of my life without any guilt,' the last part being the reason he hadn't done so already. I'm sure he considered it, he would have very much would have liked to, but 'The Great Sesshomaru' was too honourable to do such a thing.

His mother died earlier in his life, probably the reason he was like this now, though I'm not sure how she died, not that I care.

I dragged myself out of the bed and promptly collapsed onto the floor. I thought to myself _I really shouldn't a drank so much last night._ I had a hangover pounding my head from the inside-out with every heartbeat, although I've had worse. I'm fairly convinced Sesshomaru dragged me out of there, judging by the fact I'm wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday, and was not pleased with me at that moment, but I guess he never is. So, not trying his patience this morning, I hauled my body up from the floor and, leaning on walls to keep my sense of balance, I walked out into our small kitchen and plopped myself down in front of the table. "I'm not going today," I mumbled in a raspy voice that surprised even me.

"Yes, you're going today, I don't care if you're hung-over, that is your problem," he said coolly once again. "It is not mine, little brother."

"I don't have to," I rebelled. "You can't make me."

"Hhmm, you're not in such good fighting shape today, are you Inuyasha? I wonder how many punches it would take to knock you out? Don't think it below me to throw you out on the sidewalk in front of your school."

I growled and left to get dressed without even eating anything. I pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt and I was off. "Where are you going?" Sesshomaru asked suddenly before I reached the door.

"School."

"Not in that."

"Why the hell not?" I yelled.

"Go put on your school uniform Inuyasha."

It had slipped my mind since the start of that summer. I completely forgot, the stupid school had started us wearing uniforms to school now. It was so degrading. The uniform was so plain and unlike my normal clothes Sesshomaru even chuckled. His hard shell is so hard to crack. I've been trying for years and the only way, apparently, was to make a complete and total fool of myself by wearing the dorkiest clothes I've ever seen. I growled and turned back to the room, shoved the clothes over my head and practically ran out the door into the crowded street full of excited kids returning to school again. _I can't get how the hell they can like school._ The September atmosphere is just so gloomy to me.

* * *

My alarm clock buzzed, signalling the first school day of the year. I groaned as sunlight streamed from my window and tapped my shoulder. My eyes were forced to adjust to the bright light and I knew I wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon. I heaved my limp body from the mattress and into a sitting position on the side of my bed.

I looked into the mirror bordering my wall and saw a frizzy-haired, baggy-eyed Kagome looking back at me. I wanted so much to sleep but I couldn't miss the first day of school. My mom called me from downstairs, "Kagome, get up, you're going to be late!"

"My good old wake up call," I mumbled to myself. My alarm usually never woke me but Mom hasn't failed yet. I pulled on my new school outfit and walked downstairs to enjoy a little breakfast and hopefully wake up.

I ate fairly speedily and was out the door before anyone could even glance at me.

Walking to school was as boring as I can remember, even after my friends meet up with me at the corner. This time though, I saw an older looking boy stumble out of an apartment door, look around and start walking toward the direction of the school. I knew him from somewhere but I couldn't quite place my finger on it. After a few seconds of watching him, I decided to ask him what was the matter as he looked a little miserable. His face suddenly lit up as he saw a few of his friends ahead and called to them.

I figured he couldn't have been that depressed had his face lightened up so instantly; though it still bugged me that I just couldn't figure out who he was.


	2. First Day

I found myself planning this chapter in my head, so I guess it's continuing.

**Cold Snap**

**Chapter 2**

**First Day**

After I checked myself out in the bathroom mirror, (I look a lot better now in my school uniform by the way) I made my way through the cramped hallways to my first class of the school day, Math. None of my classes on Mondays involved my friends but also had all of them on Thursday, so I shouldn't complain. It was evened out well enough. I was pleased, however, to see that Hojo Yoshimaru was in my first class.

He was a regular teenage heartthrob, even though he didn't act the part himself. All the girls swooned as he entered a room and his presence was loathed by the men. He was like a knight in shining armour, if I don't say so myself. He was a perfect gentleman to the point that it was annoying, but it never failed to make any girl feel special. (Whoever said "Chivalry is dead" was wrong!)

The teacher had opened the door and invited us in as I saw a familiar face. "Sango?"

"Wow! Kagome, how long has it been?" she rang in a friendly voice.

"Gods, who knows?" I chimed in the happiest voice I could muster, as it was what I was feeling. Sango had dark brown locks of hair that shone as the morning sunlight danced across it. She too was dressed in the new uniforms that the school had decreed upon us this year. Truth be told, I had expected the school to be first in line for school uniforms but it seemed like they held out as long as they could to keep the school dress code the same.

Her brown eyes, almost like mine I had to comment, went well with it. For some reason, I feel that mine clash with them rather than blend. Her shoes looked like they had had mud on them previously. I was about to ask about this when the teacher boomed "Hurry up, hurry up kids, I know it is the first day of school, but that doesn't mean we won't be hitting the books hard this year!"

A large groan erupted out of the group as they filed in. We sat at the back of the classroom, to catch up after 3 years of not speaking to each other.

"Wow, Kagome it was such a long time," my former best friend whispered.

"I know. What have you been up to?"

"After I moved to my Aunt's, life just went on, you know? It was just school, school, school."

"I definitely understand. It was the same for me."

"You're still training I see," regarding her shoes.

"Yeah, you know how it is."

"Hey, quiet down back there!" the teacher said as he began his introduction.

"We'll have to catch up later," I whispered one last time.

"My name is Mr. Kenji Tamagachi. I should expect you to remember it. Now, we will start with a quick review of the basic grade 11 math operations. . ."

000 0000000 00000000000 000 00000 000000

"Oh my god," I sighed, not believing my ears. I was at the back of the classroom, but I wasn't deaf. "Not one of these guys."

I heard a voice ask beside me, "What do you mean?"

"Another of these asshole teachers that try to make you learn instead of just sending you straight out of the class like a normal teacher does. That's just no fun." I turned to look at him. He had dark, almost violet, blue eyes, a 'good natured' face and a something that resembled a small rat-tail at the back of his head. The parent's wet dream for all their daughters. He was dressed, of course, in the same old stupid black uniform they forced on us. "It sucks doesn't it? The uniforms, I mean."

"You're telling me." I had expected him to defend the school's decision on the dress codes but he answered me which such revolt that he had me right then. "Now, all the girls have to have skirts at least knee length. It's debauchery I tell you!"

I tried my hardest to stifle the laugh that was forming in my mouth, but there was only so much I could take. I burst out right in the middle of the class. I soon had the whole class staring at me. "Is there a joke you could share with the class, uh," the teacher paused to look at the class chart, "Inuyasha?"

Thinking on my feet, not that I needed to, I excused, "I wouldn't think it to be appropriate, Mr Tamagachi," I said as politely as I could, though it certainly wasn't how I felt.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again, Mr. . ?" he trailed off, waiting for a response, though I paused for a little longer before answering.

"No last name, sir."

"Hhmm, well that's unusual," he replied, obviously thinking the name on the sheet was just a typo.

I shrugged in response and returned to stifling laughter. "Still laughing huh?" said the voice jokingly.

I calmed myself down, "Name's Inuyasha, yours?" I could get to liking this guy.

"Miroku Takamaru," he said shortly.

"Cool."

0000000 00000000 0000000000000000 00

"Of course!" I hissed, in realization, angry at my short term-memory abilities. "I know where I know him from!"

"Know who?" Sango whispered back in interest. "That hot guy?"

"He's not that. . ." I started, sidetracking myself. "His name's Inuyasha," I finished, blushing and looking around to see if anyone had seen other than Sango.

"So?" she pushed. The classroom still pulsed with energy since the teacher had left. He had left them alone to take a supposed important call in Administration.

"I saw him in the newspaper last year," I continued modestly. "Apparently, his girlfriend died in a car accident or something. They didn't release much of the information, but the picture on the page. . ." I paused remembering it. "He was standing beside the ambulance as she was being loaded onto it." I remembered the black and white photo and silently thanked the editor for the colour filtering of the blood. Great black and white, gory colour. "She was a mess. . . I guess maybe that's why I remember so much."

"Wow, enough drama in his life or what?" she commented, matter-of-factly.

"No kidding," I replied staring in his direction, wondering how he got through the day knowing the how the incident happened just the last year.

0000000 00000000 0000000000000000 000000000000000000 00000

I should probably mention, I usually don't take this long just to write something this short. I just had so much going on this week and this one too. I should have more free time after this weekend though. Hockey playoffs. Season's over, so more time for writing! Anyway, just saying.

Please review,

Nolan


	3. First Job

I feel so guilty! I haven't written for about a week, and now it's almost the end of the (March) break! Oh woe is me! And actually, this will be the first time (in this story) that I'll be writing in third person! W00T!

I also have an EXTREMELY good feeling about this chapter. Also, I haven't written for a long time. Sorry. I bet a lot of people haven't even read this story, but I'm gonna start writing again. I'm only writing THIS story though.

**Cold Snap**

**Chapter 3**

**First Job**

Inuyasha was becoming increasingly aware of a certain teenager suddenly staring from across the room as the teacher droned on meaninglessly.

A girl and her friend had been talking animatedly about various topics, when he suddenly noticed a change in the raven haired girl with the baggies under her eyes, her composure had straightened and she glanced at him before continuing on wearing a serious expression to her friend. Apparently, the conversation was about him, as the two would every now and then take short glances at him. He decided to feign ignorance for the time being, though he would find out what this was about. Could it be the fact he was a half-demon? Or something else. . . _Or about Kikyo? She does kinda look like her, _thought he. _Wonder if they're related?_

"I think the one on the right likes me," mused Miroku, looking up from his lengthy notes, now taking notice of Inuyasha's attractions. "See? With the brown hair?"

Inuyasha peeked at Miroku's face before returning to the girls as Sango looked away, blushing. "Maybe. But if she ever gets to know you, she'd be outta there faster than a demon on uppers. Besides," Inuyasha started, "She was lookin' at me."

"No chance Inuyasha! I have the class and manners of a gentleman," Miroku defended. "And just what have you got?"

Inuyasha pondered for a moment, "Maybe you're right." _I shouldn't even be doing this in the first place. Not with my relationship being in limbo._ "But I've the ears going for me. You wouldn't believe the human girls, man. You only wish you were me."

Last class finally ended at three. "What a day," Inuyasha commented to Miroku, stretching and yawning out of his seat, having just woken up, Miroku packing up his newest notes for the umpteenth time that day. They waltzed calmly out of the classroom in the crowded hallway for the final time that day. "I hate school."

"I agree totally, but if we're getting anywhere in this lifetime, it's got to be done."

"Hey, I don't got to go anywhere," Inuyasha remarked. "I'm fine where I am."

"Well, to each his own."

"Hey, Inuyasha!"

Turning, the two came face to face with a three young men whose names happened to be Koga, Ginta and Hakkaku. To the untrained eye, they looked to be fairly scruffy wolf demons, but were really well trained track stars.

Koga was a long distance track runner and long jumper, Ginta and Hakkaku high jumpers. Demons, of course only competed against other similar demons.

In appearance, of course, they wore the school uniforms, Ginta wore his hair in a dyed white fawk-hawk, Hakkaku had black hair and Koga a short black rat-tail. Individually, Koga looked the toughest; he had a few scars across various body parts such as his knuckles, neck and probably even in places nobody would want to think about. The other two were slightly more clean and up-kept.

"Hey guys! What's up?" asked Inuyasha, beckoning his friends in their own way of high fives.

"I'd like you guys to meet a newer friend of mine," he said, stepping aside to reveal Miroku. "This is Miroku, Miroku," he said, "This is Koga, Ginta and Hakkaku," Inuyasha finished.

"My pleasure," Miroku said. He really liked to make new friends, demon or not. His lineage led back to the Sengoka era, where he had relations with a monk who had apparently been led astray. "And mine to meet cha too," Koga said, shaking his hand, while Ginta and Hakkaku followed suit.

"So Miroku, you want to come to the arcade? We just about to ask Inuyasha about it we he introduced ya," Koga asked, being friendly.

"No thanks Koga," Miroku sighed. "Sadly, I'm broke," he concluded, wearing a bummed expression across his features. "Maybe once I get bit of an allowance from my parents, unfortunately."

"Bummer," Ginta said. "Yeah," added Hakkaku. "So, how 'bout you Inuyasha?"

"Na, I've got a job interview," he said quietly.

The three wolves' heads jerked toward Inuyasha and Miroku looked mildly surprised.

"A JOB?" they burst out.

"Yeah, go figure," said Inuyasha, an ironic tone about him, "Sesshomaru's refused to give me any more yen so I have to find a job." The wolves seemed unsatisfied. "What, it's only part-time!"

"Inuyasha, in the whole time I've known you, say three years," spewed Koga, "You've never done any work to speak of, you don't participate in sports and have the reputation to match as the kid who doesn't work, man, and NOW you decide to get a job?"

"Yeah we've known you for a while too Inuyasha," started Ginta, "And you've been a slacker from the beginning," finished Hakkaku. "No offence."

"None taken," remarked Inuyasha, "But what can I say, money does strange things to a man."

The sun seemed to shine right on through the buildings as if they weren't there. The air seemed to be boiling over AND on the first day of school no doubt; this was just ridiculous. _Damn Global Warming straight to hell._ The sun burned the back of my neck like I was in an oven.

I walked down the street to where, _supposedly,_ there was this shrine I had found in the paper's classifieds. "Shit," I mumbled to myself in disbelief, "I bet I passed the place fifteen minutes ago, where the hell is it?" Something must've heard me, cause the stairs seemed to just pop out from a stack of hedges I was walking past. It was about a thirty stair set. I saw a small post with the address painted on. _This is the place_, I thought to myself beginning the walk up to the holy grounds of their shrine.

I saw a tree peaking out from over the top ridge of the stairs. Strangely, the tree seemed to be rustling even though there was no wind to speak of. I continued, contemplating this development. I could only wonder but ultimately, the only way to find out was to keep walking. I could hear giggling with my half demon hearing, even though I was still far from the crest.

One step at a time, the sounds got louder, my curiosity seeming to grow with every step. Ten steps from the crest I had recognized the excited chuckles of two teenage girls. Peeking over, I found an unfamiliar sight. The two girls from earlier that day seemed to be climbing up the branches. Wondering how they had gotten there, I searched for anything that could have been used as the lowest branch was only ten feet down. Sure enough, a rope ladder was strewn about the branches of the tree apparently assuring a safe trip up and down and could be withdrawn to keep any unwanted humans away. _But not half demons,_ I smiled at my own lame joke.

Feeling uncomfortable, I decided to venture 'into the unknown' so to speak. "Uh, hello?" I said, catching their attention. The raven haired girl looked down with a curious look. "I'm here about the job?"

"Oh!" she squealed. "I should probably introduce you to your boss, then," she concluded. "Sango pass me the ladder," she asked, as the other kindly complied, beginning to gather rope and wooden panels.

"My boss? So I got the job? Already?"

"Well, no one else has answered the ad yet, so being the only candidate, you should be a shoe in." She accepted the rope from Sango and threw it down, and began her slow descent. To me, it didn't look too safe, not too mention SHE looked rather clumsy.

Sure enough, her hand slipped and she fell backwards; she seemed to move slowly, while without thinking, my body acting of it's own accord, I jumped to the rescue and caught her before she hit the ground. I landed, as gracefully as I could, hoping not to jar her anymore than she already had been by her fall. I could hear her heart pumping, like a horse's gallop, as I gave her her feet back, her eyes slowly returning to their normal size from the saucers they had become during the fall.

"You okay, Kagome?" called the one named Sango down from the ladder, as she climbed down herself.

"I'm fine," she called, her voice crackling, slowly regaining her footing. Her heart slowed quickly, her balance returning just as.

"Thank you," she finally said. "You're Inuyasha right?" her voice definitely back. _Had this girl really just fallen from that height? No way. They must've switched somehow. . . But I don't smell anyone else. . ._

"Yeah, I'm Inuyasha, and you're?"

"Kagome, Kagome Higurashi. We're in the same first period class."

"I knew I'd seen you somewhere," I said innocently.

"This is Sango," who had just gotten down from the tree.

"Sango Yurigami," she said as she extended her hand to me. I was surprised how firm her grip was. SHE was a strong one anyway.

"Inuyasha."

"So now that the introductions are over with, how's about we meet the chairman," said Kagome, leading the way with Sango to the house opposite the tree. I hadn't really noticed it until now; it was nice and homely. You know, just nice. The cream colour was summer-like, I really, don't know what I mean, but I just have to say summer-like. I'm sure it would be the only safe place if a blizzard were to sweep through this region. Yeah, that's what I mean.

"What is this, some kind of company? I thought this was only a part time job?" I asked, now confused as to what I had gotten myself into.

"Mom! Someone here for a job!" she called, looking into the kitchen.

"Oh!" called a voice. "Well, let's see," I heard some dishes clanking and an older Kagome in a cooking apron ventured out of a doorway. _I suddenly realized who it was as I noticed the new scent._

"You must be Mrs. Higurashi?"

"Oh Yes I am!" she said excitedly. "You're the first to come for the job in a week!"

"So. . . I get the job?" I asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not," she finished. "You'll be working with jii-chan; he's probably out in the shed. He's been getting too old to take care of the shrine, so you'll be helping him out a little, just some extra chores."

"Ok, thank you," I said, trying my hand at politeness once again. "So when do I start Mrs. Higurashi?"

"Now, if you want to," said she with a smile. "Well okay," I croaked out, walking out the door to find the old man who would be giving me my assignments.

"Inuyasha, wait!" I turned to see an almost angelic face staring into mine.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Let me walk you out to the shed."

"Uh, ok sure." _Now why do I get the feeling this girl is trying to pick me up?_ She took my arm and began to lead me out. It felt like I had at the tree, my body no longer listened, I obeyed it's will, I did not know where it would take me next. _What is this? NO. I've got to remember why I'm really here. I'm trying to forget about Kikyo for a while._

I am starting to write again and hopefully going for the long haul for this story. However long that is. My chapters aren't very long at all.

Anyway, thank you guys for your support,

Sno_man80.


	4. First Look

**Cold Sna****p**

**Chapter 4**

**First Look**

Inuyasha wondered that night about his encounter with the Higurashi Family shrine and (though he wouldn't admit it to himself) the significance or lack thereof, of Kagome's forceful, taking of his arm in the long walk to the shed. _It wasn't really that important right?_

She needed to bring Inuyasha out to meet Grampa. Even Kagome thought the man was eccentric and she was his granddaughter. Shouldn't she have gotten used to his antics by now? But a school kid who had never met him once in his life? That was a disaster waiting to happen and they could not afford to lose Inuyasha's help. Kagome had been doing all the extra work to help out Grampa lately because Souta had been gone on another one of his school exchanges they seemed to be doing lately. There was no telling when another worker would come along.

"He's right over here Inuyasha." They walked up across the concrete tile to an old building that was looking pretty beaten down at the moment. "I'll be right back out Sango!" she hollered back to the tree in which Sango could not be seen anymore. "'Kay!" came the reply from somewhere on high. She turned back to Inuyasha as they kept walking. "Sorry about earlier, I guess I'm little rusty on the climbing. Sango and I used to do that a lot when we were kids. Albeit on much shorter trees. I guess I'm just really lucky you came around when you did."

"Its fine," said he. _I'm surprised a scrawny girl like you is crazy enough to do something like that in the first place. _"So, where is the old man anyway?" _I'm kinda anxious to get away from you._ "I'm kinda anxious to get to work." The girl in front of him looked a little bit put out. "He's right inside here I think." She slid open the shed door and was assaulted and pulled into the hut. "Demon!" her Grandfather screamed, brandishing a sutra that he slammed onto Inuyasha's surprised face. _Well, thats it. Great job with the racism Grampa._ "Get off of him Grampa!" she said, getting up off the ground. _This is exactly what I was afraid of._

Inuyasha peeled off the Sutra slowly. "Yeah old man. I'm only half demon. So these aren't gonna work." He shot the sutra onto the ground in distain. There was a short period of awkwardness before Kagome decided that she needed to take the initiative and say something. _Gulp._ "Um. . . Grampa this is your new helper." _And not me anymore. _"This is Inuyasha," she squeezed out, silently hoping she wouldn't be sweeping the shrine again tonight.

The elder didn't speak for a moment. "Only a half demon?" he said slowly.

"C'mon Grampa! Get with the times! Inuyasha is as able as any Shrine boy around!" _More than me at least. _That was more of an agonized silence. Until the senior suddenly burst out into an excited shout.

"I'd be honoured to have a half demon work in my shrine!" Half-demons we're regarded as VERY good luck in this day and age. "His ableness is not even a question!" he exclaimed as he stepped towards the half-demon in question and shook his hand vigorously. The wonders being a half demon brought in this era!

This annoyed Inuyasha to no end. The way people treated him was weird. 'Oh, you're a half-demon? You get half price!' It made life easy and probably even easier for him to get food on his now limited budget but he would much rather just getting treated more equal. The only part of this treatment he liked was what he got from the ladies.

"So, what's my job old man?" _So, why in all hells am I putting up with this? That's right, I need the money. Fuck! _It showed on his face just how impatient he was getting. "When am I earning this money?" he questioned as he looked around the court, trying to figure out what needed to be done.

"Well, first of all young one," started Grampa, "There are many ongoing jobs that need doing and upkeep. The first of these is the sweeping. I was just sweeping this well house myself. The sweeping is also extended to the grounds and the rest of the buildings." It almost seemed like he was finished until he took another breath. "The tile often has people coming and going to throughout the day and nearing the end of a day has a lot of built-up sand on it. You'll also to keep the hedges looking nice. The roofs often get leaves on them so you'll have to brush those off and it's the same thing for Goshinboku. You'll have to trim the branches and clear away any that have fallen down. People judge this shrine by its appearance. This job is very important."

Inuyasha was stunned. "How could you have done all that with a body like yours? You're gettin' to be ancient!"

"What do you think** I** did around here?" said Kagome feeling a little overlooked. "I was doing this stuff by myself before you came along! My little brother will be helping you when he gets back from running around America so I can get back to doing school work to get into a good University," she finished with a little more tenacity than she had originally meant. _Lucky little runt._

_Well, sorry. Geez, all she does is complain. She _does_ care a little more about school I guess. . ._

"Well I'm going back out to see Sango," the girl exclaimed as she retreated. "Good luck with your first day on the job!"

Turning back to Grampa, the half-breed again began to grow impatient. "So, what do we start with?"

"First, is a history lesson my boy," he said along with a mental sigh from the boy in front of him. "You should know the history of this shrine and know why these buildings are here. This, for instance, is the well housing." Inuyasha looked past the experienced man who stepped out of the way to let him see inside. There was no light inside other than an old lantern until the old man slid the door open all the way. Dust filled the air and coated every surface in sight giving everything a faint tinge of grey. An old well stood in the middle of a small pit. He stepped inside as Grampa began telling the story. "This is the Bone Eater's Well. No one is allowed here so it is the one building that isn't cleaned as often as any of the others. The legends say that this well has long sustained my family. Whenever they killed a demon, when our relations were still strained of course, threw the dead bodies into this well which turn helped them with good fortune. This is well is rumoured to have a mind of its own. The bones are said to still lay there and the evil spirits trapped there by these sutra on the lid. It is important not to get to near the well, lest your soul be corrupted."

The half-breed looked very sceptical at all this. _I don't believe in fairytales old man. Spirits are people's superstitions and our relations were only strained before your people killed all the bothersome demons. The only ones that didn't have humanoid forms like all my friends._ Inuyasha didn't have a very good view of humans. Given power, their greed consumed them. They killed their environment and other civilizations just make a couple bucks. This was especially true of the European Empire. Granted, uncivilized demons only wanted to kill and maim but they were only victims of a sinister culture that shoots before it asks questions. Those demons could have been given a better chance than they were.

He was led back outside of the building to the courtyard. And back into the blinding heat. He squinted into the sun shining into his enhanced vision after having just been in a dark space. He waited patiently for his eyes to adjust.

"In the winter, you'll be responsible for clearing snow here." Oh, how Inuyasha wanted snow at that moment. . .

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I woke up the morning after and still remembered the night before. It seemed strange that everything had seemed. . . familiar somehow. I brushed it off as a simple déjà vu but I wouldn't find out until much later how right I was. . .

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Well. . . I'm kind of a slow writer. I wish I didn't have this constant writer's block I can't seem to shake. Anyway, this chapter went pretty quickly. Till next time!

Sno_man80


	5. First Sight

**AN: I have not been writing very much at all lately. . . for you videos game nerds out there, I've been playing Final Fantasy 13 (my favourite number by the way) and let me tell you; game is great. Anyone who has been debating on buying it, debate no more! Storyline is great (which is the reason I'm playing it) but it took me a while to warm up to the fighting system but considering I've never played a Final Fantasy game before, I deserve a pass. It's very entertaining. It does get a little boring every once in a while, but to be truthful, that's dispelled every time a cutscene rolls around. No, I won't be writing any FanFiction for it but I just felt like giving it a shameless plug as well as providing my excuse for my lateness (you should even be honoured by my lateness). That's a Kanye quote if your wondering.**

**Cold Snap**

**Chapter 5**

**First Sight**

The day before had definitely been an anomaly in my life experience with Sesshomaru. I usually never talked to him in mornings or much of ever really. The same had developed for him and we fell into a pattern before I turned twelve. Eventually, we even stopped looking at each other. I ate something I brought home from the night before (thank you generous Higurashi family) and was out the door in a flash; hmpf, but it wasn't like I was excited or anything. It's an unspoken agreement between brothers; the sooner one of us is out the door, the less we needed to deal with the other's presence. This morning went much the same way as per usual. He walked out on his way to his workplace and his dead end job that he cursed everyday (I assumed at least) and I mentally sighed in relief. It still hasn't set in that I'm finishing school soon (with bottom marks of course) and I'm gonna be working (for real) in the same kind of dead end job he's got. And he's gonna love every minute of it.

I stepped out into the sunlight for day two of the last year of my slow torture. It was a short walk through the townscape though, watching out for cars (or not) can be like a game for me. I enjoy jumping out of the way at the last second and watching the faces of people all around me. It's very entertaining. I did as much as I could to stop thinking about the night before and how it still felt like something monumentally important to me and I still couldn't fucking figure out why. "Inuyasha!" came a cry through the street a ways behind me. A dark haired boy rushed through a mob of cars at a stopped traffic light, stepping on car hoods as he went and triggering honks and raised voices yelling curses. "My wife is in labour!" he yelled, apparently explaining away his rush as half of the drivers then turned away, their mouths forming big "ohs" of understanding. The other half, being at the light, had no time to even think about this explanation before the light turned green once again. He stepped back onto the sidewalk in front of me.

"Miroku, you're one bold human you know that?"

"No praise required Inuyasha. The Japanese are a peaceful people not because of their peaceful nature but because of their genetic lack of a physique. I'm confident I can handle anyone who has a problem with what I do. At least, who would chastise a man rushing to see his wife in labour?" This guy will never cease to surprise me is what I decided right then and there. Miroku is the one person I wouldn't have guessed did something that I did for fun.

"Well whatever, let's get going, we're gonna be late," I said, being a little more mature than usual as we continued on together through the tangled environment that was the sidewalk in the morning rush. People in business wear wandered around, seemingly with purpose even as Miroku and I pressed on.

"How was your job interview?"

"It was. . weird. Really weird. I got the job right off the bat, got a history lesson and the old caretaker even tried to purify me."

"Until he found out you were a half-demon of course." I gave him a sharp look. How the hell did he know that?

"I've never told you I was only half. . ." In this day and age, it was not uncommon to have the ears I did and still be very close to a full-blooded demon while only a little human blood was still required to have that particular genetic trait. Had he heard it from Kouga and the Wonder Twins maybe? "Come to think of it, I've never told that other girl too! Kagome was her name. . ."

"I have spiritual power in me Inuyasha. I'm a monk training at my family's shrine to take it over some day. This Kagome is a priestess as well it seems. A normal human could not usually detect these kinds of things," he explained. "Of course, I have trouble keeping to my Buddism with so many beautiful women around," he finished with a smile.

"These things would be good to tell a demon ya know," I growled, feeling only a little angry while my demon side amplified it.

Miroku, the usual smartass he was, came out with "Why? I wouldn't be able to sutra you anyway."

"It just an instinct we of demon heritage develop," I said, simmering down. "And you probably shouldn't mention it to Kouga. He'd go batshit. Demons do weird shit around people of the cloth. And transvestites. But seeing as you're neither. . ."

"That was a low blow Inuyasha."

"You think so?" I asked with disbelief. "I saw you watching the girls in the hall as they went by. Trying to get a peak at their chests. If I said "You don't seem like the type," I would be putting it lightly."

"I just. . . I like the green uniforms. . . they look good in them." I had realized by this point that Miroku, was a buffoon. He wasn't cut out to be a monk. . . yet. He was simply a human teenager. I wasn't gonna push him any farther than I had. I was starting to feel kinda bad. The school was just up the street and we finished our walk in silence while Miroku still had a red tinge to his face. I couldn't tell whether he was angry or just still embarrassed.

I turned around as we approached the school doors and into the hall (gods know what possessed me to do it) to see the girl (funny how I didn't notice it myself at the time) that had been occupying my mind for the last night and present morning. I saw a flash there, only for a moment, of a harsh, determined look on her face inside my mind layered over the cheerful and carefree features she had on now and she looked at me and then it was gone. I stared on into her eyes wondering when she had started at me too. She now wore the expression for real and everything was quiet. We stood in slowly heating sunlight. I was reminded of the day before. Time was irrelevant in the paradise I stood in. I faintly recall the people around us still moving forward, Kagome and I becoming speed bumps causing increasing amounts of turmoil as everyone stopped to watch us. Her sight was all I needed to live it seemed. I saw her as a beacon of colour in a sea of immaterial gray. That is, until I felt Miroku shaking the living daylights out of me.

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So, as it happened, Inuyasha's house wasn't very far from the bus stop where I get off to go to school. I had almost already forgotten the day before with the forceful introductions the day before. _"Demon!" _I still cringed with embarrassment frequently from the day before every time I thought about what in my mind I could only name "The Incident." I could not imagine the social ripples that would reach me and rock my boat when people heard about my grandfather. I saw the school moving closer to us as I walked with Yuka, Eri, Ayumi and Sango behind said half-demon, introductions already finished earlier that morning. They got along just fine. "So, Sango, how's training?"

"Training? Do you guys have a secret club or something?" quizzed Yuka. She was the boldest of the group, often not thinking as her mouth opened.

"Can we join?" Eri followed.

"No no," the athletic girl began. "My family owns a dojo. We do very specific training. . ." Sango finished mysteriously.

"That's not really telling us anything! C'mon!" saying Ayumi, obviously intrigued now.

Sango seemed to be waiting for this. I could see the amusement playing about her features. "The students we often get are for police training. These people learn how to take on a demon and not be totally out-classed. I train there and am a qualified taijiya in the art of demon hunting."

"Wow, really?" all of three looked positively amazed at this. "So, have you ever. . . oh. . ." Yuka looked embarrassed as her sentence stalled on her lips.

"It's okay," Sango said, realizing what she was being asked. "I've never had to kill a demon yet. Our training is never that intense. There are usually not a lot of very violent things that happen here anyway. Not like in America at least."

I looked away as we crossed the threshold of the school grounds and into the boundary of the gate.

I saw two eyes peeking at me through the crowd and they seemed eerily familiar. . . And we stared and stared. For days at least. . . his silver hair, his golden eyes and his ears seemed so perfect in that minute (or day should I say). His uniform seemed out of place somehow. A flash entered my mind. The red robes that clothed the flash were much better. Then it was gone and nothing else mattered except that we keep staring. A gray blur filled the world while the silver haired boy was highlighted in the clearest of colours like my eyes were meant to see him and him alone. Then I was shaken by a strong, feminine hand.

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Inuyasha and Kagome were being shaken by each of their respective friends as they awoke from their apparent slumber of their brains. "Let's go," said Inuyasha immediately, turning around. "We got class." Kagome was left standing with Sango and the rest of her friends while Miroku shrugged and walked away but not before giving Sango a good once over.

"Hey, wait up!" Miroku called to the dog-demon. "Slow down. Just what was that all about?"

"I dunno," he said truthfully as he slowed. He didn't want to describe what he just felt. _And how would I describe it anyway? Purpose? Belonging? I've never seen that girl before yesterday and yet. . . I feel a bigger connection to her than I've ever felt with anyone in my life!_ "It was nothing."

"That sure looked like something. We just joking about those girls yesterday and today you looked like you'd fallen in love." He was both intrigued at the happenings and happy to have something to bug Inuyasha about for the rest of the day.

"That's the girl whose family's shrine I was at last night."

"No way. This is like fate or something. . ." Miroku was seriously considering this!

"No Miroku. I dunno what it was. It- it wasn't anything like that!" He was starting to panic now. He wasn't ready to deal with this yet. . . the half-dog just wanted to crawl under a rock at this point.

Miroku stared strangely and didn't say anything to this. . .

"Let's just get to class." Hopefully they wouldn't have class together today.

AN: You like? I'm speaking of course to you, my one reader and reviewer at this point. Hopefully, I can get some more huh?


	6. First Thoughts

Lots of stuff going on in my life right now. . . not bad stuff, just makes me busy. Hopefully it'll cool off over the summertime. Not that I'm under any major pressure though with only one reader at this point. I'm also really sorry for the short chapter but I wanted something out there.

**Cold Snap**

**Chapter 6**

**First Thoughts**

Thankfully, we didn't have class together that day so far. That morning was the singular weirdest thing that had happened to me in my life. I shared it with a complete stranger who I've only seen twice in person the day before. Apart from it being the weirdest, it was also the most intimate. This is what scared me the most. Things like this seemed to only happen in movies and fairytales. Was it really love? I had been thinking about it all morning and now sat at the lunch table in the cafeteria, too busy thinking to eat. Again, thankfully, my friends had not chosen to say anything about it even though I could tell they sure wanted to.

I mean this was completely impossible. He was cute, I'll give him that, but this isn't something that cute gets you. The connection I felt to him was the equivalent to Sango's. I felt like I could trust him with my life. I was so completely occupied that I spilled water down my chin and didn't notice until it trickled down my uniform and into my cleavage. I wiped my mouth and took a look at my friends who had just stopped talking as they looked at me. I could only guess at how long they were gawking at me. "What?" I asked, bewildered.

Eri (as usual) was the first to speak up. "Are you okay Kagome?" I could tell what she really meant was 'CAN WE FINALLY ASK YOU WHAT THE HELL THIS MORNING WAS ABOUT?' I, of course, would have to disappoint her because I had no idea myself at that time. I answered her with a smile and a nice facade. "I'm okay! I mean I only fainted, right? And I got right up afterwards so. . ." I wasn't convincing anyone and I could see it in their faces. It didn't matter anyway. They'd have thought I was crazy if I had said anything of what I imagined before.

When I saw him across the room, I cringed and sunk down into my seat. The group turned to look at his entourage of wolf demons and one human that had followed him in. I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew him now. I wanted to yell across the room at him, like I wanted to explode with happiness at just seeing his face. I didn't. And I felt horrible. I sat sunken in my seat, waiting. Waiting for what? I don't know. I knew I couldn't stop seeing him in that red robe in my mind. He was really handsome in it anyway so it wasn't very hard to do. Inuyasha. . . I guess I had feigned away from thinking about his name before then.

I remember vaguely wondering whether he felt the same about me.

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I sat down at my usual seat in the cafeteria. My body was pretty much on total autopilot anyway. I probably wasn't going to be eating very much. I was still thinking about that girl. Kagome. I had only heard her name once. Saw her in person twice. And I fainted. I was so angry that this girl could have me like this. How the fuck could I have reacted that way after only one look? Her grandfather was crazy and that really didn't scare me. If it was anyone else, I would have hurt him. . . a lot. Being a demon and being insulted like that, I would have punched him in the face was he anyone else, but I was only lightly annoyed. I felt like I was expecting something to happen (thinking back). My friends walked behind me as we stepped up to the line of food for lunch that day and began picking out our favourites.

I really didn't care about food at that moment. To tell you the truth, the whole reason I was angry, was because I was embarrassed. A demon fainting at the sight of a human girl? There are female demons that have pheromones that can knock out (or subdue or even seduce) a demon of their choice at special times in their cycles of maturity. But a _human _girl? People won't ever let me live this down. Looking past that though (I didn't admit it, even to myself at the time) I felt almost happy to see her in the lunchroom. I had spotted her on the way in and she turned away as soon as she saw me as did I do the same to her.

Eventually I noticed everyone had finished and were saying their goodbyes for their next classes. Koga and the others (being demons) knew how I felt about the incident that morning and shied away from such a conversation, but Miroku (being human) was as curious (and equally as nosy) as any human was. "Inuyasha, how are you?"

"Fuck off Miroku. We'll talk about it later. Much later," I murmured to him as I closed the distance to the exit in a short time, Miroku following behind me just as quickly. He was human and while was annoyed with his nosiness, I understood that humans were the way they were and I couldn't change that.

"So, was that girl a demon Inuyasha?" asked Miroku. "Was that why. . .?"

I hesitated before I answered his half formed question. I seemed to trust him even though I had only met him yesterday. "No. She was human. You remember her don't you? The girl from yesterday in our first class." He had no response, so I continued. "She also lived at the shrine where I just got my job." Still nothing. I turned around and saw him staring the lunchroom in Kagome's direction. "What are DOING?" I yelled, pulling back from around the corner. "Who were you looking at?" I questioned while shoving him down the hallway and we began moving.

"Your girlfriend's friend," he said simply. "She's cute. I didn't really take a good look yesterday." He paused and smiled smugly. "Jealous I see."

"N-no! She's NOT my girlfriend!" I practically yelled.

He raised his hands up to shoulder level, palms toward me. I had a flash again. Purple robes, an old pair of sandals and a staff appeared on his person and his face held his expression. His hair was still tied back into his rattail like the rat he was. And just like that, it was gone. "Okay okay Inuyasha," he finished. I must've looked pretty freaked out because the next words out of his mouth were as follows. "Are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost!"

I couldn't believe it. That was the second time that it had happened. And with Miroku no doubt. I was beginning to feel like there was something wrong with my brain. My head felt kinda okay and I didn't pass out that time so I thought I was fine. Had I known what was really going on I would've ran and dragged Kagome out of there as fast as I could.

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Hopefully, this'll give you an idea of how busy I really am. . . I started this chapter two weeks before finishing it. AND it was a short chapter to boot.

Well, that's it,

Nolan


	7. First Sorrow

I'm actually starting this next chapter immediately after posting the last one. So, yup. Also Japan is a place where "blocks" are the places that have names instead of streets having names. I'm not quite sure how it works. But streets do not names.

**Cold Snap**

**Chapter 7**

**First Sorrow**

The day was finally over. Our group of friends started down the street and had a very uneventful walk to say the least. No one talked about anything because the topic of the day had been avoided and things were already seemingly as awkward as they could get. We split up and went our separate ways at the train station, Miroku walking with me for the short time it took for him to turn off toward his block. The best possible part of finally getting home is getting straight to my room. I kinda hoped that the guys would have wanted to hang out that night but alas, everyone was either busy with start of term homework or some other activity. It looked to be pretty boring tonight as my job was not an everyday job as I was informed by Kagome's mom before leaving last night.

So, essentially I was stuck doing nothing. Granted, I had homework (not that I was actually gonna do any of it). It would have been a boring night basically watching TV had it not been for something I had been dreading for months. The phone rang and it was answered by my brother and I was quickly called down to the kitchen and as he left, I saw something in Sesshomaru's eyes that suggested this wasn't something I was gonna be happy about. I picked up the phone and heard a soft voice. "Is this Inuyasha?"

"Yes," I said and I cringed.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news sir. You. . . should probably sit down if you aren't alread-"

"She's dead. . . isn't she?" I questioned bluntly. I remembered that nurse's voice from a time before at the hospital.

"Ye- Yes Mr. Inuyasha. My condolences sir," she replyed, flustered and nervous. "I hate to be the bearer of such bad news for your fiance," she finished. I heard her take a deep breath on the other side of the line.

"Is she still there? I-I should see her. . ." I couldn't say more.

"Yes sir, but she won't be for long. Her parents are going to have her cremated as they undoubtedly have already told you." They did. There wouldn't be a funeral.

"Of course. I'll be there soon." I hung up.

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Kikyo and I drove down the road playfully laughing and joking in our street clothes that day. We had skipped school.

Kikyo's parents could afford a nice-ish car but that's not why I proposed to her. . . to tell you the truth, I don't really know why I did. She was most important thing in life to me at that point and it seemed like the right thing to do.

Those moments were forever etched in my mind. The car suddenly lurched (I would later find out a car had rear-ended us due to a broken axle) and Kikyo lost control and skidded to the right and hit the median. The car came to a very quick stop. Glass shattered and was all over the car as the metal had been twisted and bent. Her head bounced off of the steering wheel and eventually halted after a time. My neck had stiffened automatically and instinctually and my seatbelt held. I panicked and struggled for a second. I checked myself out first. Being a half-demon, I was totally fine (ok maybe a few scratches). I immediately got out of my seatbelt opened my door with a little bit of an effort and got out to see the crowd starting to gather round. I rushed and jumped over the hood to open her door. She was still slumped against the wheel. "Kikyo? Are you okay?" I enquired while I took her seatbelt off and dragged her out, all the while being as gentle as I possibly could. I laid her down on someone's jacket. I didn't know how much time had passed before the ambulance had gotten there, but everything happened so fast.

Before I knew it, the paramedics (a demon guy with blue skin and pointy ears and a normal looking human girl) had pushed me out of the way to get a look at her while they talked to me about. Local news reporters were snapping pictures and nosing in, doing their best to get a good front page picture. I was confused (I was actually in shock it turned out). For humans, shock can be fatal, but for demons, shock is a loss of adrenaline (our core stress reliever) and we are left vulnerable. The demon paramedic proceeded to drag me into the ambulance. I didn't resist at all.

Getting to the hospital was nerve-racking. Her heart stopped twice and a third time just outside the hospital. She was fighting. . . or at least that's what I liked thinking at the time. In reality, she was just getting lucky.

Her parents were there at the hospital already and we sat in the waiting room together as they cried. Dog demons don't express their sorrow in mere tears and sobbing. We have a more sophisticated form of sorrow. Howling. Howling is always done in private and this was no different a situation. I comforted them as best I could and they told me right then that they didn't blame me personally which was a great relief.

Then after a while, the doctor came inside a brief us on what was not very good news. She was in a coma.

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Her parents didn't have the guts to let her go. Her chances weren't very good anyway. And now she was finally dead. A good long year of sorrow and fighting and she had finally gone on. The only feeling I really felt was. . . relief. I felt so guilty to realize it myself but I was so relieved that her- our struggle was over. That I could move on. I would much rather have seen her talking to me and back full of life again, but either way was much better than what was happening to her in that hospital. Living without living. An empty shell. That night, I would go to see her body and finally let go. She would have liked it that way at least. Me letting go.

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I didn't go to school for the longest time after what happened. I had some sorrow to work out still. My friends may have been worried about me, but they knew to keep Miroku away from me this time.

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This chapter was a bitch to write. I mean really. I was kinda bored with what I was writing but I needed to get it out of the way for story reasons. I'll release an explanation chapter after the story finishes where I'll explain some stuff people may not have understood. We'll see.


	8. First Date

I'll see about writing this chapter a little faster (and better) than what I've been writing so far. This story is actually starting to look like it's gonna be a little shorter than what I had planned. P.S. I'm not really sure when school starts for the Japanese. Also I've heard they have only one day off every two weeks. If someone could correct me, that'd be great. Also you can listen to some Blink 182 during this chapter if you want. P.P.S. Can I get some feedback about my preview thingy? How did it catch your attention? I'm really starved for reviews. I love them and get so few, I'm looking for some ways to get more people to read the first chapter at least. It could be that I'm coming back into the community at a downturn (the series ending) or something else I'm unaware of. Anyway, that's just some food for thought for my two lonely readers. P.P.P.S. I'm now looking for an apartment for College in the fall! I'm hoping to get lucky with someone I know! If not, not much writing will get done. . .

**Cold Snap**

**Chapter 8**

**First Date**

I remember getting pretty worried after not seeing Inuyasha in our school (plus I figured that we couldn't possibly have only one class together for our whole week) for over two days. He had called my mother in apology about his job although she didn't tell me what he had said. She just said something about it being a private matter and that I would helping Grampa again. He returned afterwards looking drained.

This would have definitely put him back quite a bit in his school career if he didn't return to school when he did. I worried when I had missed school for my Grandfather's birthday. I could be seen looking worried and staring off into space with a thoughtful look on my face in every picture of the wonderful occasion of Grampa's 90th. It was the only day of school I remember missing in my high school career. He apparently felt the same about work because he was still working at 91 and going on 92.

This Monday was a dreary one. It rained as if many a waterfall were intent on drowning Japan starting with Tokyo. The sun had decided to hide in fear. The atmosphere wasn't much different being a Monday. There were bags under the people's eyes that had stayed up the previous night still trying to finish un-done homework that was leftover from the first week disaster. I stared out at the window and twittered my pen on my laptop at the terrible walk home I had ahead of me today. I scanned back into the room as the teacher continued to speak. Sango sat beside me and the other boy that we would have seen hanging out with Inuyasha was in his seat along with the nameless faces in the class but there was no Inuyasha to be seen among them today. I assumed he simply didn't like this class because he'd missed it two weeks in a row now. I didn't mention him for fear of my friends thinking there was anything more than coincidence to our little incident. I think Sango knew me a little better than that however. She kept catching my looks for him around school and though she couldn't possibly know I was actually checking around for the silver haired figure, there was a very knowing look in her eyes after every glance. She hadn't said anything to me otherwise.

I don't really know why he captured me that day nor can I explain what I thought I saw. Maybe I just thought he looked good in that kind of garb (which he did).

The day went by without incident. My friends and I walked to our local train station in relatively good weather this time. The rain had stopped. The pavement was wet and puddles were in excess as they usually liked to be after a good rain. "Hey, d'you guys want to meet up later to eat?" quipped Eri.

"How about somewhere cool this time?" asked Yuka, a slice in her words, as usual as she spoke without thinking.

"Somewhere cool? There's a cool themed restaurant around the HotMusicNow! Store near the industrial district. It's a little far but it's a lot of fun."

"I almost hate to ask," Sango began, "but what's the theme?"

"Live game show battle!" Eri burst out. "Sounds cool doesn't it?" They all looked at her sceptically as they stopped in front of a lowered track and began the slow wait. "Well, I thought it did anyway. . ."

"I'll go," I said. I didn't want Eri to feel bad and I actually thought that it did sound like a cool alternative instead of a karaoke bar.

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Inuyasha decided he had brooded far too long. Sesshomaru understood funnily enough though. _I'd have thought he'd be the first one to wanna take a poke at me._ Eventually, being a half-demon like he was, Inuyasha's feelings healed quickly after his grieving was finished. He got up off of his bed and went to peek out the door to hear if his brother was home yet. He was not. He travelled the hall and down the stairs to the door. He peaked out to find a sunny afternoon razing down upon the asphalt ground. "I could work today. . ." he said, thinking out loud. "But fuck that." He turned away from the sunlit window. "Everything's been done there since a couple nights ago. I'm sure Mrs. Higurashi would agree it could wait another day. I'm gonna go bug Koga at his new job with the rest of the guys," he surmised as he broke for the phone.

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Eri led them into a building front that had a lot of flashing lights and potential lawsuits for said flashing lights. The huge building (along with the amenities) must've cost a small fortune to buy (even being this far out of town didn't help). The first thing Kagome noticed was that the MC was a more than a little bit louder on the mic than he really should have been. The inside was flashy too. Different coloured lights weaved in and out as newer contestants on the stage had been selected. The walls were strewn about with different weapons that actually looked kind of real, though Kagome doubted it. Her friends had walked onto the "set" so to speak and joined the sea of people to find a table. There were tables strewn about, which in "game show talk" would be the live audience. The human on stage was currently hosting another couple of human girls in a foam-padded gladiator battle in which the loser would fall into a foam square pit. "What d'you guys think?" asked Eri, turning on the spot to see their reactions. They simply stared at the many contraptions and apparatuses they would eventually find out about later in the night.

Kagome was impressed while the others seemed to like it too. Sango looked absolutely ecstatic. Her face was lit up with excitement. _This is gonna be Sango's playground,_ thought Kagome. _It'll be hard to think about what human or even demon could even give her a challenge much less beat her._

They just found out that the losers got tomatoes hurled at them inside the foam pit from the audience (as if there wasn't enough incentive to not lose). "This is kinda hardcore isn't?" questioned Ayumi, who looked very worried.

"What's the matter, you guys scared?" teased Sango.

"It seems little Yoko couldn't cut it, but give her a huge hand anyway!" said the loud male up top while the young girl picked herself up out of the red pit of tomato. The crowd hooted and hollered as though there were no chance that one of them could be the next one in the arena picking themselves out of whatever awful substance that may come up next in the contest lists. "That's either the best or the worst tomato chuck from our crowd I've seen yet!" He stopped for applause. "Continuing on here, in our grand opening week, we'll need some more contestants!" he finished as lights began to swirl around in the crowd as they search for some more victims. It wasn't hard to admit to herself, but watching that smaller girl crawl out of the soft red bath, soaked to the bone, made her scared for what else they could possibly have at this little game show of horrors.

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Miroku led the way into the "epilepsy building" as their group had christened it. They paid the cover charge and went in. "Hey, Ginta?"

"Yeah?" said Ginta, speaking over the Master of Ceremonies. He walked in front of Inuyasha while Hakkaku was behind him.

"What kind of job did you say Koga had?" asked Miroku, not knowing where to go.

"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me! He just said to go to the back and say that we were friends!"

"What- you guys have never been here?" scolded Inuyasha. Ginta didn't respond as he watched a tiny human girl throw another tiny human girl into what he smelled was a giant vat of cold tomato juice. The group wore their street clothes. Inuyasha wore a pair of jeans and a baggy white shirt. His hair wasn't really brushed or tidy in any way. He wasn't really concerned with looking nice that day.

"Let's go before we get picked!" yelled Ginta as the loud human told the crowd just what exactly he was planning on next. Then they saw him. The rattail of Koga's was unmistakeable even through the sea of heads that they spied it. He moved up to the stage while the host captured the attention of the crowd by making his first selection. He helped the scorned and red girl out of the soup trying not to get covered himself and failing miserably. Fortunately, he wore something of a plastic poncho over his black uniform; he was also very fortunate that he was very handsome and lucky with the ladies. This one looked pissed off right up until she saw him. They knew now why he was chosen for this job.

The group moved toward the front while Koga ushered the girl down the stage stairs and away into the back through a door in close proximity. They rushed between the tables and bodies to follow him, but right at that particular moment the spotlight had chosen to rear it's big ugly beam of light onto their group. "And we have our second contestant it seems!" _Don't let it be me. . . _"Yes, there, the one in white t-shirt with the long white hair. You're the next one up here in the Flying Lights House of Fun!" Inuyasha looked at the rest of his friends for any guidance and they just stared at him apparently to mean 'well, what the hell are we supposed to do?'

He walked slowly in the direction of the overpowering voice and source of the "flying lights", pushing past his friends and people sitting a little too far from the table to move to the stairs. Stepping up and walking with a less than amused expression on his face, his posture changed immediately after seeing who his opponent was. There was his first sight right there on that stage. It was Kagome.

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I looked at him and couldn't believe the coincidence. Here, he was right there right after he got picked at random from a whole crowd of people. I heard him swear under his breath and give the host a very angry look. Our MC looked between us both and asked, "Is everyone ready?" I looked right back at him with a helpless glance and he just shrugged.

"Alright! ! ! Let's get our party hats on! It's time for Smart Air!" I could see Eri's gasp from where I was. Just then, (who knows where they came from) there were attendants (or bouncers) of mixed races ( to hold Inuyasha who was struggling quite a bit) that proceeded to drag us both to our own respective circles on the floor. The floor then rose up slowly to reveal what looked like a vertical gurney. We were then strapped in to these contraptions. These must've cost a lot of money. I didn't panic yet. I didn't really know what was going on. "Ok. Here are the rules. We're going to be asking you trivia questions and whoever gets three of them wrong is rocketed up and gets. . ." he motioned towards the crowd who held handfuls of what looked like red jello. "Haha, at least it's not tomato juice," I heard Inuyasha yell. ". . . a face full of jello and any other "loser" fluid that has been used tonight. The winner gets a surprise! The game begins now for the last time toni-"

Suddenly (and violently) the wall of the club exploded. The people who weren't paralyzed with fear dove for cover and pulled the rest with them. The microphone fed back and speakers fell to the ground. Being stuck to a slab of metal can be a big problem in a situation like this. I felt strangely at home in this environment though I was less than comfortable with straps on my arms. I looked over to Inuyasha who had a blazing look on his face and who was fighting to get free with all his might. I realized these were apparently built to withstand a demon trying to get out and so I knew I had no chance. I chose to save my energy. I saw my girls run into the dust along with a large group of other victims and out into the street as a something huge stepped and crashed the ground outside. I understood their plight. Stay here and inside with the risk of the roof collapsing in or go outside to run as fast as they could to get away from something huge. I would've chosen to run. I couldn't blame them for leaving me; I might've done the same. I saw Sango and another boy step back in waving their arms at something. They appeared to be yelling. . . they were crazy. They were distracting the thing. It appeared to be working as footsteps seemed to come closer and a second later were confirmed. A giant bear demon standing about 20 feet tall was hobbling into the warehouse. The two rushed through the table to us climbed to the stage.

"You look like you need some help," said Sango, out of breath as she struggled with the restraints. The other boy I now recognized as Inuyasha's friend from first class. I was now free. Sango always was cool under pressure. "You think those are real?" she questioned as she gestured to the other walls strewn with weapons.

"I don't really think so. . ."

"They'll do for now I guess." She moved out to defend as best she could against the demon to give the others time.

Inuyasha's friend was having some trouble getting the wristcuffs off of him. "Move!" I told him. He walked off to find a weapon, not wanting to argue.

"Hey," he said. "If you can get these cuffs off, I can kill that demon for you." I saw another flash right then of an arrow struck right through his chest, pinning him to a tree.

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Alright by now, you guys are saying "WTF!" Was the author planning on this the whole time? The answer is. . . sorta. The game show type thingy was a stroke of inspiration, but I was planning on something like this. The rest of story may be something like this. We'll find out what happens next time shall we? P.S. Yeah, I had a lot more fun writing this chapter. Hope you like it ;)! P.P.S. I got the apartment! WOOTWOOT!


	9. First Interlude, First Fight

Okay, so I wrote this post-chapter. So sue me. Also sorry for the HUGE break in between chapters. My laptop was taken away for repairs and I was unable to write. You should probably also expect longer breaks in chapter due to my getting Xbox Live back, new games coming out this fall for said Xbox Live and school. Anyway, this is what I wrote in a good couple days.

**Cold Snap**

**Chapter 9**

**First Interlude, First Fight**

A small figure watched the fight unfold from the darkness that enveloped it. There were no distinctive features to the darkness except for the four figures with him and the orb that was showing him the events of his friend's problems and fights. He floated towards the other four unmoving, unconscious figures before him all in various garb. One wore robes of the Fire Rat and another of very weird, rather revealing clothing. The other two were a monk and a demon slayer respectively. He grabbed hold of the red-robed figure's sword and scabbard and focused all of his strength and magic into that one object. And with that, it disappeared with small "poof" of pink smoke in his hands. He pushed away from his company and went back to watch the orb again. "That's the best I can do for you guys. . ."

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"What the hell are we gonna do here guys?" said Sango who was agitated, still trying to defend as best she could with her sword.

"Hurry up!" cried Miroku, who had settled on a staff and had just deflected the huge bear paw that had just swiped at him.

"Snap the hell out of it!" I said to her. I knew she had just had another vision because I had just had one too but we didn't have any time for any of this. "Get me off of here and I'll kill that thing and we can all go home safe tonight!" She nodded with her same look of determination I saw in her our first vision. She struggled her best and got them loose enough (somehow) for me to slip out of the cuffs. Who knows why Miroku couldn't shake them off when this small girl could. Maybe Miroku is more a wimp than I thought. . . but then no, he had just blocked a pretty ferocious swipe from that bear just then. I decided to worry about it a little bit later on.

A sword scabbard on the wall attracted my attention. The ebony hilt on it was nice. It seemed welcoming to me. I quickly grabbed it off the wall and drew the blade of the Katana. It was beat up and old but very usable. I still hadn't figured out what drew me to this particular sword, but I still settled with it as time was very short. I stepped up past Kagome, Miroku and the other girl to square off with the demon.

"So, what kind of fight you wanna put up huh? I don't suppose you wanna lay down and die?" The giant beast roared in my face. "I guess not. How the hell are you even around anyway? Escape from the zoo?" It was one of the things I didn't like about human "civilization" as people liked to call it. People liked to see dangerous animals and other things of the like with no danger to themselves. So, they breed feral demons in captivity and let them out for an hour every day to put on shows. People are sick. What can I say? But then no, the demon in front of me did not have the empty eyes of an animal who had just escaped from captivity, no glimmer of happiness to finally be free or the fear of seeing the outside world for the first time. I saw anger there.

The beast reared on its hind legs, standing up even taller. I didn't have time to think. I reacted and deflected the resulting swipe with the broad side of the blade. "Damnit!" I yelled as the bear reared with surprising speed for another swipe. I jumped out of the way and took my own swipe with the edge of my sword. It cut surprisingly well for the dull blade. But, you know they say about wounded animals being more dangerous. This only seemed to make him angrier. "Alright, what do I need to do to take you down?" The others watched me with exhausted looks as I took a glance in their direction. Its good thing Kagome got me out in time because the other two would have dropped dead by the looks of it. I lunged taking the aggressive role this time. This bear didn't even try to block. He lunged a second after I did and I caught him in the belly and put a huge gash across his naval. He simply clawed my back and put me down to the ground like he didn't even feel the blow I had just inflicted.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" I yelled at the mindless killer as I rolled away and up to my feet. I was actually angry that this monster cared nothing for itself. I had entered the fight hoping not to have to kill the confused bear. I checked my body. I had nothing I could see. My back felt pretty raw though. . . there was no time to check as I had to kill a bear first. Miroku and his girlfriend stepped up in front of me before I could make another move. "You've done a lot already Inuyasha! It's our turn!" Miroku hollered. They advanced on the bear. _They're crazy. . . _I thought as Kagome moved up to my side. "Get up!" she said harshly as she pulled me to my feet. "Look at your back! What would've happened if you couldn't have gotten away after that attack!"

It seemed like she was actually worried about me as she scolded my fighting. "I had him right where I wanted him!"

"Hmpf," was her response. "Yeah right."

The other two weren't faring very well. They still looked like they were gonna collapse at any moment. The only advantage that had was that there were two of them to divide the demon's attention. Neither of the two were taking any blows straight on. They were both very speedy and were evading well for now although that wasn't worth much (with this type of demon especially). "I gotta get in there. They're not gonna last."

I could feel her aura spike behind me. I didn't wait for her to say anything as I walked forwards once more. "Inuyasha, your back-"

"I'm fine ya stupid monk! Just make sure Kagome doesn't get hurt!"

I squared up with the giant bear, holding my Katana with both hands. "C'mon!" I said calling on his attack. He didn't disappoint. He pounced with a roar while I moved out of the way with a rolling leap to my right and landing onto my feet, steadying my landing with one hand. I lunged, stabbing him in the ribs. Again, the wound did not register. The animal had slowed due to his wounds, but unfortunately, so did I. He pawed my side and I fell to the ground once again, my Katana still inside his ribs and couple of my own broken. Teeth bared, I thought I had lost as the bear reared to stomp my chest and any other body parts he could get to. Quite abruptly, my eyes filled with pink light as I saw an arrow fly through my field of vision. Partially blinded by the afterimage of the light, the bear had disintegrated before my eyes. Dumbstruck, I got up off the floor now realizing that I was still alive. Brushing myself off, I spoke. "Miroku, great job with that purification. That was badass. Thanks for missing me."

"That was not my shot Inuyasha," he said, holding his hands up in front of him and smiling.

"Then it was you?" I asked, motioning to Sango.

"IT WAS ME, YOU IDIOT!" yelled Kagome, while I flinched. I was an idiot because she held the bow that shot the arrow right there in her hands.

"Oh. I didn't know you were such a good shot." This time, she winced. Her head went down to her chest so I couldn't see her eyes.

"That's actually the first time I've ever shot an arrow. . ."

"YOU WHAT! AND WHAT ABOUT SHOOTING AN BOW AND ARROW YOU'VE NEVER USED BEFORE AT ME WHILE USING PURIFICATION POWER SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO YOU?"

"YOU SHOULD BE THANKING ME!" she shouted back, equally as loud and defensive. "WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF I HADN'T HAVE SHOT HIM!" she yelled, referring to the wreckage of the club before us. "I just. . . I KNEW I could make that shot. I dunno how." Her face defused quickly. "Purification power?"

"You don't even know anything about yourself? Miroku said that you were probably dissent from a priestess or something. Well, he didn't actually say that," I said as I trailed off. "All right, whatever. We need to leave. I think I hear the police now," I said, sirens in the distance closing in. "Out the back, or there're gonna try to pin the damage on us since there's no bear left," I finished, beckoning the mess. _And when I say us, I mean me._

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We split up each taking a different direction from the scene.

I went home to my brother's apartment and slipped past Sesshomaru's bedroom to get to my own and I let the sword scabbard down and I lay down on my bed to heal as best I could before school the next day. I passed out right then.

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Alright, so it's been a while huh? My schedule's gotten much fuller with school and other things on my plate. I take longer to do school work along with writing which is why I enjoy writing during the summer months way better. Tell me what you thought of the chapter and I hope you forgive me for such a long break and continue to do so in the future.


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